Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 6 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 6 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
often be seen sticking in the hair of a man or woman, to be used
again when wanted. They also smoke pipes, and the old women seem
particularly fond of them. Round the Saora's neck are brass and bead
necklaces. A man will wear as many as thirty necklaces at a time,
or rather necklaces of various lengths passed as many as thirty times
round his neck. Round the Saora's waist, and under his fork, is tied a
cloth with coloured ends hanging in front and behind. When a cloth on
the body is worn, it is usually worn crossed in front. The women wear
necklaces like the men. Their hair is tied at the back of the head,
and is sometimes confined with a fillet. They wear only one cloth, tied
round the waist. During feasts, or when dancing, they generally wear
a cloth over the shoulders. Every male wears a small ring, generally
of silver, in the right nostril, and every female wears a similar ring
in each nostril, and in the septum. As I have been told, these rings
are put in the nose on the eighth or tenth day after birth. Bangles
are often worn by men and women. Anklets, too, are sometimes worn by
the women. Brass necklets and many other ornaments are made in Saora
hills by the Gangsis, a low tribe of workers in brass. The Saora's
weapons are the bow, sometimes ornamented with peacock's feathers,
sword, dagger, and tangi. The bow used by the Saoras is much smaller
than the bow used by any of the other hill people. It is generally
about 3 1/2 feet long, and the arrows from 18 to 21 inches. The bow
is always made of bamboo, and so is the string. The arrows are reeds
tipped with iron, and leathered on two sides only. A blunt-headed
arrow is used for shooting birds. Every Saora can use the bow from
boyhood, and can shoot straight up to 25 or 30 yards."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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